Island Take Out in Bar Harbor, Maine

Island Take Out sits in a small building behind a gas station on the edge of Bar Harbor, easy to miss if you don't know where to look. The menu runs from New England classics like lobster rolls to jerk chicken and mac and cheese, and the kitchen treats every order seriously. People stop here on road trips, grab lunch between activities, or come back specifically for the food. It's picnic tables under a tent, but the cooking is anything but casual.

• Lobster rolls ranked best in the maritimes by visitors
• Jerk chicken with actual spice and depth
• Generous portions, fast service, no pretense
• Mac and cheese so good it surprises people

Start with the lobster roll if you've never had one from here. The pulled pork sandwich is the other anchor. Jerk chicken mac and cheese works as a full meal. Mozzarella sticks come with house sauce. If you're staying for dessert, whiskey cake won't let you down.

Picnic tables under a tent behind a gas station. Low noise, casual crowd, outdoor-only seating. It reads more like a food truck with a permanent home than a restaurant.

But the kitchen delivers. The pulled pork sandwich shows up properly smoked. The jerk chicken arrives with real heat and flavor. Lobster rolls are warm and buttery, not skimped. The mac and cheese reads as shockingly good for takeout. Mozzarella sticks come with a housemade spicy aioli. Even the whiskey cake lands. You're here for the food, not the frills, and the cooks know it.

Guests consistently rank the lobster roll among the best they've had anywhere. One recent visitor called the mac and cheese shockingly delicious. People praise quick service and generous portions, and they're willing to hunt down the location because the food makes it worth the effort.